Prenatal exposure to anxiolytics and hypnotics and language competence at 3 years of age

Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 2015 Mar;71(3):283-91. doi: 10.1007/s00228-014-1797-4. Epub 2014 Dec 30.

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of the study was to examine if there was an association between use of anxiolytics and hypnotics in pregnancy and language competence in the offspring at age 3 years.

Methods: The Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) is a prospective pregnancy cohort where the mothers were asked to report on their medication use at pregnancy week 17-18, 30, and at 6 months postpartum. A woman was defined as a user of anxiolytics and hypnotics during pregnancy if she had reported use of benzodiazepines or benzodiazepine-related drugs during pregnancy. Children's language competence was measured at age three by maternal report on a validated language grammar scale. We used ordinal logistic regression with estimated standard errors allowing for clustering of multiple pregnancies.

Results: Forty-five thousand and two hundred sixty-six women with 51,748 pregnancies were included in the study. The women reported use of anxiolytics and/or hypnotics in 395 pregnancies (0.8 %). The odds ratios of being in a group with lower language competence were 1.2 (0.9-1.5) and 1.7 (1.0-2.8) for short-term and long-term anxiolytics and hypnotics use, respectively. When adjusting for SSRI use during pregnancy, the odds ratios were 1.1 (0.83-1.41) and 1.4 (0.84-2.33), respectively. Children whose mothers took no anxiolytics and hypnotics during or before pregnancy were reference group.

Conclusion: The results refute any strong association between prenatal use of anxiolytics and hypnotics and lower language competence in the offspring at age 3 years.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Anti-Anxiety Agents / adverse effects*
  • Child, Preschool
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Hypnotics and Sedatives / adverse effects*
  • Language Development*
  • Male
  • Pregnancy
  • Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / chemically induced
  • Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / psychology*
  • Prospective Studies
  • Self Report
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Anti-Anxiety Agents
  • Hypnotics and Sedatives